Author: Bulat Kechik

KYIV, June 30 (Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ordered top military commanders on Friday to strengthen Ukraine’s northern military sector following the arrival of Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in Belarus. He said Ukrainian intelligence and security forces had reported on the situation in Belarus, Ukraine’s northern neighbour, at a meeting of top military and political leaders. “The decision…is for Commander-in-Chief (General Valeriy) Zaluzhnyi and ‘North’ commander (General Serhiy) Naev to implement a set of measures to strengthen this direction,” Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app. He did not mention Wagner Group boss Prigozhin in the brief post on…

Sabah, Malaysia – At the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary on the eastern coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, you have to drive along kilometres of bumpy dirt roads flanked by columns of palm oil trees before arriving at a spot where you can watch the endangered monkeys feeding up close. The sanctuary, which has grown to some 202 hectares (500 acres) of mangroves and is home to about 200 proboscis monkeys, is owned by a palm oil company and located on about 283 hectares (700 acres) of plantation. Since 2000, the Yet Hing Plantation has been feeding the monkeys –…

JOHOR BARU, June 28 — The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, granted an audience to the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad here, today. Several photos of the meeting were also shared in a post on Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page. In the meeting which lasted about two hours, the Sultan of Johor was briefed on the 262nd Meeting of the Conference of Rulers, scheduled to take place at the Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur next month. Sultan Ibrahim will be chairing the meeting. The last Conference of Rulers meeting was held in…

ASTANA – Mosque of al-Zahir Baybars (Sultan Beibars) re-opened on June 4 in Cairo after years of renovation co-funded by Kazakhstan and Egypt, reported the Ministry of Culture and Sports. The mosque was constructed in 1268 at the start of Sultan Beibars. The mosque was constructed in 1268 at the start of Sultan Beibars. Photo credit: Senate’s press service. The ceremony coincided with the Days of Kazakh Culture in Egypt and was attended by high-level Kazakh officials, including Kazakhstan’s Senate Chairperson Maulen Ashimbayev, Minister of Culture and Sports Askhat Oralov, and Minister of Information and Public Development Darkhan Kydyrali. Constructed in…

Bulgaria has received a second MiG-29 engine overhauled in Poland under a current agreement with that country, the Defence Ministry said on Twitter. “Poland thank you for your allied solidarity,” the ministry said. The first engine under the current agreement was received in March. The two engines are enough to extend the service life of just one of Bulgaria’s fleet of the ageing Soviet-made fighter aircraft, of which it is said to have 11. How many are serviceable is an official secret. On May 17, Bulgaria’s caretaker Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov claimed that the United States had told Bulgaria that…

Sarawak will soon adopt the integration of solar energy into housing projects, in line with the state government’s commitment towards green energy, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. With more details to be announced early in May, Abang Johari said the green energy initiative will contribute towards environmental sustainability that will benefit the future generations. “I have already instructed Sarawak Energy to look into the state having solar-powered smart homes. With this, the excess of energy can be channelled to Sarawak Energy, which means that overall, this will be good enough for our future generations,” he…

The U.S. decision to provide Ukraine with 31 advanced M1A2 Abrams tanks will make a difference in the war but is no silver bullet, U.S. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Friday. Milley’s remarks came as the United States announced that Abrams tanks to be used to train the Ukrainians will arrive in Germany in the coming weeks. “I’m biased, but I think the M1 tank’s the best tank in the world … I do think the M1 tank, when it is delivered, will make a difference,” Milley, the top U.S. general, said…

All counters at Johor’s Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex must remain open without interruption in anticipation of a large volume of traffic between Malaysia and Singapore because of the Hari Raya celebrations, said Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi. He said efficiency at the BSI complex was not up to his expectations and it was currently not operating at its maximum level. “With the festive season getting nearer, the Causeway will be even busier in the next few days, with more people and vehicles travelling between Malaysia and Singapore for Hari Raya,” he said after his working…

The Migration Service of the Ministry of Labor of Tajikistan in 2023 will send citizens of the republic for seasonal work in the UK, Interfax reports , citing the press service of the department. “Registration of citizens wishing to go to work in the UK is carried out only at the State Institution “Centers for Counseling and Training of Labor Migrants before Departure” in Dushanbe. The process of selecting and hiring citizens under the seasonal work program in the UK is carried out only on a competitive basis by representatives of Pro-Force. After passing the selection, documentation, visa support, insurance and travel to the…

A new member took his place on Wednesday around the table of the Romanian Council of Ministers: he has a deep voice and is called ION, the first adviser using artificial intelligence (AI), responsible for deciphering social networks. “I would like to start the meeting with a surprise,” Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said solemnly. “The government marks an international first by launching the first adviser using artificial intelligence: ION,” he continued, waving his hand at a bright blue screen to his left. This AI tool was developed by researchers from several universities in this country often described as the “Silicon…